A wet, viscous sensation began to invade, enveloping every inch of skin as if Long's entire body had just been submerged in a giant block of liquid jelly. The salty taste of the ocean assaulted his nose, overflowing into his throat, making his throat burn and choke with bitterness.
Long's vision was swallowed by the abyssal darkness of the ocean, where weak, feeble rays of light from the distant surface were only enough to outline dim, trembling streaks. Amidst that dense pressurized space, his body felt no pain; on the contrary, every muscle fiber, every joint seemed to loosen, kneaded by invisible, gentle hands like a full-body massage therapy.
He just kept sinking, gravity seeming to vanish, letting his body drift into the cold deep water. However, that silence was suddenly torn apart. A long, dark shadow, undulating like a silk ribbon of death, suddenly shot past. It hovered around him with terrifying speed, creating swirling currents that pressed tight against Long's chest, signaling a powerful presence rising from the darkness.
That terrifying aura squeezed his senses, making Long startle and open his eyes. But immediately, a burning pain like thousands of needles stabbing into his eyeballs forced him to squeeze them shut; concentrated sea salt flooded in, burning his eye mucous membranes. At the same time, his chest tightened from lack of oxygen. Long's lungs began to convulse violently by instinct, his hands groping, struggling hopelessly in the heavy liquid mass, trying to find a breath of air that didn't exist.
Just as his consciousness began to blur, a deep, muddy voice, echoing like rolling thunder, transmitted through his skull: "Relax, little Dragon. This is your domain. Open your eyes and look up here."
As if hypnotized, the stiffness of his muscle blocks gradually relaxed. Long stopped struggling, letting his body float in the pressure current. He slowly opened his eyes once more. This time, there was no more pain or stinging from the sea salt; instead, a cool, soothing aura spread evenly across the surface of his eyeballs, soothing every burn. The feeling of suffocation also vanished completely, his chest no longer heaving but oxygen seemed to be absorbed directly through every pore, merging into his burning hot blood.
The surrounding space suddenly thickened, darkness enveloping Long like a heavy velvet curtain. Before he could orient himself, two golden halos like two towering suns appeared, burning through the night. That was no ordinary light; it carried a heavy pressure that made every water molecule around Long tremble.
The giant creature gradually revealed itself from the darkness, endless long coils wrapping around him, forming a magnificent but silent cage. Emerald green scales, glistening and harder than diamond, brushed past Long's skin, bringing a cool sensation and tiny electric pulses. A long, majestic horn pierced straight into the void, radiating the aura of an ancient god.
A deep, majestic voice, but this time not only echoing in his head but also vibrating Long's chest:
"Don't be afraid... It's ridiculous to be afraid of yourself."
Long froze at those words, but immediately, a blinding white light flared up, incinerating the entire pitch-black ocean space.
In his daze, the familiar image of the ceiling gradually appeared. The wet feeling of the ocean disappeared, replaced by the softness and warmth from a young girl's hand pressing tight against his chest. Long turned with difficulty, meeting Lia's violet eyes brimming with worry. However, before he could utter any words, a violent spasmodic pain from his stomach exploded like a detonation. It wasn't just ordinary hunger; it was a deep black hole screaming, demanding terrifying energy.
All surrounding sounds receded, Long's vision blurred, leaving only the image of Lia frantically pulling him toward the wooden table. On it, chunks of crimson snake meat, soaked in blood just filleted last night, were emitting a strangely "seductive" scent. Long's saliva gushed out, overflowing through his teeth unconsciously.
With no reason left of a human being, Long lunged in. His fingers clawed tight into the cold, slimy block of meat then tore at it frantically. Each piece of tough, firm snake meat, he swallowed whole without needing to chew thoroughly. Only when the whole kilogram of fresh meat disappeared into the seemingly bottomless stomach did the extreme euphoria suddenly snap. Long's body collapsed like a falling tower, he passed out in the drunken sleep of a creature just full from feeding.
Lia hurriedly reached out to catch Long, but the weight from his body suddenly increased, causing her legs to buckle onto the wooden floor. She gently pulled Long's head to rest on her soft, porcelain-white thighs, trying to use the warmth from her skin to soothe the shock tormenting him.
Lia's small hands tremblingly stroked his sweat-matted hair, then pressed tight against Long's chest. Immediately, a powerful pulse slammed into her palm. Long's heart beat violently, each thump-thump ringing out dry and forceful like a beast trying to break through the chest to escape.
Looking at the boy's contorted face, the muscle bundles on his neck and temples standing out clearly from pain, Lia's heart tightened. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, falling and dissolving on Long's pale face.
"I... I'm sorry." Lia's voice cracked, dissolving into the void.
For a long time after that, Long's consciousness fell into an endless loop between hunger and deep sleeps. That hunger was like a parasite, gnawing at his stomach causing him to wake up unconsciously, lunging at the pile of snake meat like a survival instinct and then passing out when energy was temporarily filled.
Until one awakening, an unprecedented pleasant feeling spread through every neuron. Long opened his eyes, no more blurriness, instead the sound of early roosters crowing echoed from the other side of the garden, distinct and clear to every pitch. His vision was sharper than ever; every wood grain on the ceiling, every dust mote dancing in the morning sun appeared sharp.
Long moved slightly, feeling his hair had grown past his shoulders, touching unfamiliar bare skin. He sat up abruptly, shocked looking down at his body. The pale, scrawny skin from before had vanished, replaced by full muscle blocks, every muscular line standing out clearly like carved from solid rock.
He vaguely remembered Lia who had stayed by his side throughout the coma when the door creaked softly. A familiar figure walked in, but different. Lia now had her hair in a high bun, wearing a small apron, exuding the look of a capable wife. She carried a steaming tray of food, her violet eyes sparkling with a smile, speaking sweetly:
"You're up? Are you hungry?"
Sitting up straight at this change of address, he shot a wary glance toward her, his voice deep and hoarse from just waking up asking:
"I've been asleep for a very long time, haven't I?"
Lia paused for a beat, her hands holding the food tray trembling slightly, she replied softly: "That's right... You were like that for two weeks."
Long's eyes narrowed, his pupils seeming to shrink into a sharp vertical slit like a reptile. He poured his attention onto the girl he once loved, interrogating in a low voice:
"Tell me what your true intention is?"
The question was like an icy blade piercing through the warm atmosphere in the room. Lia's heart tightened, a sharp pain running down her windpipe when facing that strange gaze. Her guts twisted with disappointment, the small girl trembled slightly, her voice choking:
"Deep inside the dungeon... there is an ancient crystal of the Fairy race. It holds the source mana that can restore the withering Mother Tree. Whoever possesses it... will become the next Spirit Queen..."
Long sighed softly, a scorching hot breath escaping from his teeth like mist. He laughed dryly, the smile carrying a cold bitterness:
"Ha, so you want me to go in there and get it for you? Forcing me to eat that disgusting monster meat just to make me stronger, for me to become a perfect tool in your hands, right?"
Lia shrank back as if hit by a physical blow, her face drained of blood. She panicked, her lips trembling intending to correct him: "No... it's not like that, I-"
Long cut her words to shreds with a shout: "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY IT FROM THE START?"
Long roared. His shout made the air in the small room seem to tremble, crystal pieces on the bookshelf clinking against each other. Lia stood frozen, the tray in her hand wobbling.
Long's voice suddenly dropped, becoming quieter but containing a brokenness even more bitter than the scream earlier:
"You kept being mysterious, kept burying everything... I truly loved you, but it turns out to you, I'm just a chess piece to be used."
Salty tears rolled down Lia's pale cheeks, her small shoulders trembling like a flower branch before a storm. She didn't dodge anymore but looked straight into Long's eyes, her violet pupils blurring in tears, her voice choking with indignation:
"Long... truly I never had that intention. I... I was very scared. I was scared that if I said it, you would refuse, you wouldn't help me. I will make it up to you... You can make me do anything, please... help me."
Long didn't answer immediately. He lowered his head, his muscular hand raised to cover half of his darkening face. A string of bitter laughter burst from his heaving chest, his voice now reeking of sarcasm, sharp as a razor:
"So? You intend to throw this 'dog' a bone so it obediently follows your will?"
That sentence was like a fatal slap. Lia was stunned, her whole body swaying. In a moment of losing control, she swung her hand throwing the food tray hard to the side. The sound of metal colliding with the floor rang out piercingly, food splashing everywhere. Lia didn't say another word, she rushed out like chased by a ghost, the wooden door slammed shut with a force strong enough to make the whole wall frame vibrate, dust falling from the ceiling.
Long's gaze lowered, bitterly looking at the ruined meal tray—the thing that was supposed to be an expression of care that he just trampled on. He struggled to get up, heading toward the wardrobe, intending to find something to cover his heaving chest. But every shirt he picked up became ridiculously small before his broad frame and bulging muscles. The sound of cotton fabric stretched to the point of snapping was like a reminder of the irreversible change.
Helpless, Long had to go shirtless, bending down to clean up the mess. When carrying the food tray out of the room, the sound of sobbing from the next room pierced through the gap in the door, slamming straight into his sharp hearing. That crying wasn't screaming, but choked, broken, making Long's heart tighten a beat full of remorse.
Stepping into the kitchen, another surprise hit him. Long's new sense of smell caught the pure scent of lemon and floor cleaner. The house inherently dusty and old after days of his neglect, was now strangely clean. Every kitchen corner, table surface didn't have a single speck of dust. Long's eyes directed toward the garden through the window; the chickens were leisurely pecking at grain, looking much fatter and healthier.
Turns out, during the whole two weeks he was submerged in the coma and frantic hunger, that small girl alone shouldered this whole house. She not only took care of his every bite, but also cared for every breath of the house that belonged to his grandfather. A feeling of guilt like a rock weighed heavily on Long's shoulders. He looked down at the leftover food on the tray, whispering to himself:
"I wonder... if she has had time to eat anything yet?"
Long stood silently before the wooden door, his muscular hand hesitantly placing on the rough surface. He knocked lightly, the sound ringing out dryly in the heavy atmosphere. His voice deepened, containing belated remorse:
"Lia... have you eaten anything yet? Can I come in?"
Answering him was only thick silence. Long gently turned the doorknob, the hinge creaking softly. As soon as the door just cracked open, a pillow flew tearing through the wind straight at him along with a resentful shout, lost due to crying:
"GET OUT!"
Long reached out grabbing the pillow in mid-air with a reflex fast as lightning. He looked toward the bed, where Lia was curled up, hugging her knees tight, her face buried deep in the shadow of hurt. Long quietly climbed onto the bed, his massive body making the mattress sink, creating a distinct pressure. When he just reached out intending to touch her shoulder, Lia immediately shoved him away hard, her whole body trembling with resentment:
"Who allowed you to touch me!"
Her violet eyes now swollen, red, threw a look filled with extreme resentment at him. Not letting her push him away again, Long decisively reached out, pulling her small body hard into his embrace. Lia screamed, struggling frantically with her remaining battered strength, she gritted her teeth biting really hard into his bare shoulder.
The salty taste of blood overflowed, seeping into Lia's teeth. Long frowned, feeling the sharp pain piercing through muscle fibers, but his arms didn't loosen at all. On the contrary, he gently placed his hand on her messy hair, slowly soothing her like comforting a wounded small animal. His voice rang out, extraordinarily warm and tolerant:
"I'm sorry."
Lia slowly released her jaw, Long's hot blood still lingering on her lips. All stiff resistance suddenly vanished like a sandcastle before ocean waves. She relaxed her body, shrinking back, burrowing deep into Long's broad and warm chest as if seeking the only safe shelter left in the world.
Sobbing broke out, vibrating from deep within her small chest, making her shoulders tremble in time with choked hiccups. Hot tears soaked into the bare skin of Long's shoulder, mixing with fresh red streaks of blood creating patchy flows. Long didn't say another word, just silently tightened his embrace, using the heat from his body to envelop the fragility of the spirit girl. The silent room now only heard long interrupted sobs and a steady heartbeat.